Sweet Get Well.....

Happy Day, Sweet Friends!  I hope you had a great weekend and are ready to face your week--MonTuesday and all :)  Today, I'm sharing a get well card I made a bit ago for two really special people who were feeling under the weather this spring......it seems like so long ago, but really it was just a few weeks ago!

To complete my card, I used some goodies from Sweet 'N Sassy Stamps.  I started by inking the flower from Thankful Blooms with a few different colors of distress ink and spritzing with water.  After all of the images were dry, I outlined each flower with a fine point black marker.  I love the look this created--the flowers pop so much more! 

I added some shading/distressing around the edges, a few sparkly rhinestones and the sentiment from Get Well Innies.

Have a great week!!

Be Awesome-Jane

Winnie's Garden

Happy Day, Sweet Friends!!  Summer is in full swing, I think!  At the least, the Refrigeration Wars are on at my house and that is pretty much the same thing!  I have a sincere love/hate relationship with air conditioning.  We've had unseasonably hot weather lately and lots of people are busy planting things----me, I'm still stamping!

I'm not much for planting and gardens, but I am for adorable stamps.  This sweet set, Winnie's Garden from Sweet N Sassy stamps is inspiring for sure!  I've created a few clean and simple cards using water colors.

You'll find this set and several other Winnie inspired sets over in the Sweet N Sassy stamps webstore.  Go check it out!

Be awesome--Jane

To Love Somebody....

Happy Friday, my crafty peeps!!  I was completely captivated by this image from Technique Junkies the very minute it hit the store.  A very good friend of mine loves to make hand hearts and so I just knew I had to own it!  Today, I'm sharing just a couple of my favorite projects using it.

The first is a card that also features the Palettini background, Le Tour Eiffel, from Technique Junkies, also.  I used the Non Stick Color tutorial from the TJNL, June 2011 to add color to the background piece.  After adding the Love Hands image and a sentiment, this easy card was all done!

Using a similar color application, I created the smaller cards, also.  They are roughly the size of a business card and that is how I used them.  Once dry, I added the Love Hands and then an encouraging sentiment.  I own the Empowered Words set from Unity Stamps and use it all the time!  I work with kids who struggle in school and with mental health issues--my first round of these cards, I handed out to encourage some of the kids.  It's probably time to make some more.  We all need a little reminder from time to time-y'know?  Some more than others......

What will you do to encourage today?

Be Awesome!  Jane

Train Them...

Happy Wednesday, Sweet Friends!!  I've recently discovered Bible Journaling.  Yes, I color and write in my Bible!!  I struggled at first, but continued to feeling the prodding of God to start this journey.  I've struggled to bury the word in my heart for years---just not finding the method that worked for me.  Journaling has been exactly that!  I'm excited to begin contributing now on Sweet 'N Sassy Stamps' Creative Worship Blog--you can follow there or here--whatever works for you! 

Today, I am sharing Proverbs 22:6.  The single greatest joy and hardest thing I have done with my life is to be a parent---I'm hearing ALL of your amens!!  My oldest will be graduating high school next year and starting his journey away from our home.  While I know he is ready and prepared for what God will set before him, my heart often does not feel ready.  I journaled these pages as I reflected on Mother's Day and recent times when I've struggled with my emotions---they day he entered the world seems like only yesterday to me!!  I'm startled, at times, to realize it was almost 18 years ago!!!   I had first determined to only do the left side page, but as I prayed over the verses and sought my God, my heart and emotion just bubbled over.  I added the second page with some stenciling to make it more cohesive.  The verse I was concentrating on was Proverbs 22:6  "Train up a child in the way that he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it."

To complete my pages, I used a variety of stamps from Sweet 'N Sassy Stamps.   Specifically, I used:  Little One, Common Words 1, Just Be and Note This.  Also, I used distress inks, a Tim Holtz stencil and Ranger Archival Black ink. 

It's a bit of a risk for me to share the cry of my heart, but the truth lies in the verse and from it, I will not depart--be blessed!

TTFN, Jane

An Ode To Scruffy....

Okay.  Well, not really an ode so much as a tribute.  Truth be told, I don't really have enough experience with Scruffy to list all of his great accomplishments or character traits.  I might have sat in his chair a time or two.....and, carried his hair home on my socks or black pant leg.  I'm pretty sure he ran and hid each time I entered his home (and, maybe secretly hissed at me wishing I would go away so he could have his human back?).

I created this card to celebrate my friend's birthday and pay tribute to Scruffy (who has recently passed).  Dear Friend--you know who you are--while you celebrate your birthday this year, in such an amazing place, my wish for you is to be filled with joy of all that has been and hope for all that will be!  I love you and hope you are having the trip of a lifetime!!

To create my kitty card, I used this great image from I Brake for Stamps--Cats and Buildings. I love all of the different expressions on the cats.  I singled out the front cat and tried to make him look like Scruffy using distress markers.  For the rest of the image, I used purple water colors.  You can't really see it in the photo, but added some Wink of Stella to Scruffy so he would stand out as special--just like he was to my pal.

To complete my project, I added a hand drawn frame and sentiment then a few clear star stickers.

If you are also a cat lover and want to add this image to your stash, you can pick it up over at I Brake For Stamps!  Be sure to say a sweet hello to Ms. Della while you're there!  TTFN--

Be awesome, Jane

Play Ball

 Happy Thursday!  Today, I have a couple of cards to share featuring some newish baseball images from Technqiue Junkie Stamps.  Baseball season is always a super busy time of year in our house, with one Varsity player and one kiddo coming up the ranks in little league.  There's always a game to get to and often games to shuttle between!  Nothing, this time of year, makes me happier than watching my kids do what they love to do! 

Here in Wisconsin, the "two seasons" sentiment from Technique Junkies' Swing For the Fences set could not be more true!  Clearly the two seasons often overlap!  Just this past weekend, I was bundled up in my winter jacket and fleece blankets watching a double header!  I combined this fun sentiment with the Baseballs background and added some red floss baseball stitching to pull it all together.

If you're also a fan of the game, you can pick this set up for yourself over in the Technique Junkie Store.  Also, keep in mind that the most recent release sets are still on sale for a few more days!  Get 'em while you can! 

Be Awesome!  TTFN, Jane

Sweet Gardener

With the winter weather safely (?) behind us, it's time to stamp about flowers and gardens, butterflies and baseball!  Today, I'm sharing a garden themed new set from Sweet N Sassy Stamps.  The new set is called Winnie's Garden and is full of whimsical images just perfect for spring and summer!

I started with a piece of water color paper and stamped a garden scene using a variety of images from the set.  I then water colored the images using distress inks, my nonstick kraft pad and an aqua brush.  Some of the lines looked dull to me afterward so I re-stamped the images after the water colors dried.  This is the great thing about using clear images!  With a steady hand, you can stamp right over the top--this has many applications!

To complete the card, I added a few of the sentiment pieces also from the set.  I'm not crazy about the staples I chose to secure the sentiment piece, but....eh? You win some, you lose some. :)

Be Awesome!  Jane